transport

A rail ambulance is a vehicle used for medical transportation services on railway lines. The first rail ambulance in Queensland, Australia, was introduced in 1918, with the last withdrawn from service around 1990. The rail ambulance was usually a specially equipped petrol-engined rail inspection trolley, funded by a local community, with a railway employee volunteering to drive it when necessary. The initials QATB stand for Queensland Ambulance Transport Brigade. Queensland is a vast, relatively unpopulated area, where providing services to remote communities in a cost-effective way has been a continual challenge. Railways were built from 1865, and in many areas provided the major form of transport until a significant road improvement program was commenced by the Queensland government from the 1960s. It was in this context that the mining community of Blair Athol introduced the first rail ambulance in 1918, in order to enable injured people to be transported to the nearest hospital at Clermont.[1] The idea rapidly spread, with rail ambulances being introduced at Dalby (1919), Mount Mulligan (1920), Roma and Charleville (1922), Goondiwindi and Baralaba (1923), Cloncurry (1925) and Blackall (1941). Other towns known to have had a rail ambulance at some stage include Charters Towers, Pentland, Atherton, Ravenshoe and Millaa Millaa. The last rail ambulances were withdrawn in 1990 from Mareeba and Blackall, as by that stage road ambulance services were available through the State. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_ambulance

The Committee’s first representative on the State Executive Committee was Mr J. Crawford MLA. On 29 January, at an interview with Mr Magnus, General Manager of the Mining Company, it was agreed to take over the control of the Ambulance Corps and an Honorary Centre was established at the mine works. Mr Magnus appointed three members of the company’s staff to assist the Committee in dealing with matters relating to the Honorary Centre. A piece of land facing Central Street, was leased to the Brigade at a nominal rental. In March 1913, a wagon of ‘the most up-to-date principle for ease and comfort’ was ordered from an Ipswich coach builder at a cost of £92. In April, the tender of Mr T.T. Cornes was accepted for the erection of a new ambulance building at the corner of Bedsor and Central Streets at a cost of £429 exclusive of hardwood; the hardwood was being purchased from the Company at cost price. The plant in 1913 consisted of one horse (Bryce), a wagon fitted with rubber tires, poles and shafts, a convertible stretcher, one set of single harnesses, one complete Ashford litter, and a collapsible stretcher. The plant at the mine Honorary Centre consisted of one litter complete, one special litter truck, one mining stretcher, and eight collapsible stretchers. The Mount Morgan Centre was responsible for opening Centres at Banana, Springsure, Wowan, Baralaba and Theodore. The financial year 1927-1928 was a catastrophic one for the Centre principally due to the Mount Morgan Gold Mining Company going into liquidation. As well as the consequent loss of employment to hundreds of wage earners and a reduction in business activity generally throughout the town and district, a fire on 27 January 1928 destroyed practically the whole of the Centre building stock with the exception of the ambulance vehicles. The Committee later purchased the buildings and land for a figure which was highly satisfactory. These premises were occupied until the shift into the present premises. Source: www.ambulance.qld.gov.au/docs/history/Mount-Morgan.pdf

Looks like they're at the Central Station parcels office...in the background we're looking West across George St down Quay St. Some of the buildings seen here are still standing...

trove.nla.gov.au/work/190120541 - this [1927] NLA Fairfax pic of George St, etc which looks to have been taken from the Central Station clock tower gives a good view of the general location...

trove.nla.gov.au/work/187501373 - ditto this other NLA Fairfax pic of Railway Square...

The date has to be ca. 1927 or later...you can just make out the Empire Theatre in Quay St...it was completed in 1927...it had a very distinctive hoarding/billboard/sign on top which just makes it into frame in the background behind the delivery guys' heads...

trove.nla.gov.au/work/10441750 - SLNSW Sam Hood pic of the Empire Theatre...

trove.nla.gov.au/work/13466707 - another SLNSW Sam Hood pic of the Empire Theatre...

trove.nla.gov.au/work/10430566 - more wonders of Trove!...the NLA has another pic of these Hordern's delivery guys...looks to be the same occasion...

trove.nla.gov.au/work/11361441 - this other pic of the Hordern's delivery wagons looks to be much earlier...

Wonderful historical photo…

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Congratulations on Explore for this outstanding image!!